D-II State Girls Bowling: Firelands' Katie Smith earns second-team All-Ohio with 10th-place finish

Division II girls bowling has evolved into a strong suit for the area, with four girls earning all-state honors over the last three years. Firelands senior Katie Smith made sure that trend continued Saturday, as she made second-team All-Ohio (top 10) with a 10th-place finish at the 13th annual state tournament at HP Lanes in Columbus. A two-time state qualifier, Smith rolled a 214-173-190-577 series as she edged three bowlers by one pin for the fifth and final berth on the All-Ohio second team. Georgetown senior Carolyn Edmisten (169-244-163-576), Rootstown senior Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt (165-206-205-576) and Fort Recovery sophomore Lilah Thien (205-188-183-576) were right behind. A total of 81 girls bowled a full three-game slate. "The first game was great. The pins were falling beautifully and my mental game was right where it needed to be," said Smith. "The second game was tough. I wasn't getting great pin carry, but my mental game stayed sharp. The third game was emotionally heavy for me because it was my last game as a high school bowler. I ended the series with a 190 game and I couldn't have been happier. "I wasn't sure if my pinfall was going to make the cut. My hopes were high. I couldn't be happier with the outcome." Smith finished 32nd last year as she rolled a 176-181-181-538 series. "What an amazing day. I could not be any more proud of Katie right now in this moment as her coach and her dad," said Firelands coach Willie Smith. "Words can't explain it. She is the first bowler to make the All-Ohio team for Firelands. "After the practice session yesterday I was not sure how she would do. She did OK but struggled a little bit. This was a pretty tough pattern on new synthetic lanes. We changed our game plan and it worked." Vermilion junior Isabella Phillips was honorable mention All-Ohio (top 15) last year. She finished 11th (178-194-246-618). In 2024 Wellington senior Whitney Kirschner (168-206-212-586) and Open Door junior Gabriella Riba (224-177-160-561) were All-Ohio, placing seventh and 15th. "I was very happy with how she bowled," said Willie Smith. "Being her dad and watching her bowl since she was 10 it was kind of an emotional afternoon seeing her earn second-team All-Ohio in one of the biggest tournaments she has bowled. "This has been her dream and goal for a very long time. Today was her last day to capture it and she did it. I am very proud of her work ethic, discipline, resilience and her passion for bowling." Oberlin freshman Keira Phillips, sister of Isabella Phillips, finished 45th with a 154-174-152-480 series. She was the fourth-highest finishing freshman in the field. "She's a freshman competing on one of the biggest stages in high school bowling. That alone is something to celebrate," Oberlin coach Austin Smith said. "The state championship environment is intense. The competition is elite, the pressure is high and every shot matters. While today's scores may not reflect everything she's capable of, the experience she gained is something you can't replicate in practice. "She represented our program with class, determination and sportsmanship, and that makes me incredibly proud. This is just the beginning of her high school career, and having this opportunity so early gives her a foundation that will serve her and our team incredibly well in the future." The Open Door girls finished 16th in the team qualifying round with a 2,019 pinfall and didn't advance to the championship or elimination round (top eight). Coldwater (3,612) and Napoleon (3,597) had the top pinfall totals in the qualifying round. Senior Abby Hopkins (459), junior Hannah Thomas (450), senior Linda Kinnear (427) and senior Molly Felty (378) of Open Door finished Nos. 63, 66, 75 and 80 for high series. Senior McKenna Moore had a two-game series of 220 for the Patriots while sophomore Alex Loescher had a single game of 85. Senior Brittany Burden (198-229-213-640) and junior Rachel Moeller (180-239-202-621) of Coldwater had the top two series for the tournament. Contact Paul Heyse at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.